Little Sister
by NiceIceEdward
Summary: Bella spends an afternoon at the mercy of Emmett's sarcasm.


Alice, Esme and Rosalie were going to be shopping for wedding decorations. The idea of being forced to face all those white, opalescent swan figures, lace doilies and glittery, mini-wine glasses made my skin crawl. The only other option I had would be to stay with the men. Carlisle was working of course, but Emmett, Jasper and Edward were going for a hike. The minute Edward told me that, I decided I'd prefer going with them.

Emmett hadn't stopped laughing from the moment Edward first put the backpack on my back, and promptly fallen over. There had even been a suspicious gleam in Edward's eye as he'd kneeled down to help me remove enough items so that I could stand.

I got up, hitched the pack higher onto my back, and gritted my teeth. I glared at Emmett, who made a great show of trying to look serious, and walked out the door into the drizzle falling outside. I was going to face this with my head up, and make it through; of course the porch steps had other plans. I huffed loudly as I landed on my stomach in the driveway, and Emmett fell into another fit of laughter behind me.

Edward's amusement was backtracked by concern as he helped me up again. "Bella, perhaps this isn't such a great idea?"

I felt my face flush. Emmett's laughter was definitely insulting. I glared at him, standing in the doorway. Emmett took several deep breaths, and then a delighted expression covered his face. "This is going to be a great day."

I frowned, deeply.

I stood up on my feet again, brushed the residue off my front as best as I could, and walked over to Emmett's Jeep. I turned around and looked at the three of them, Emmett and Jasper on the porch visibly struggling with amusement, Edward on the driveway where I'd fallen looking concerned, and waited.

Emmett shrugged, sighed and walked over, Jasper and Edward followed. Emmett opened the back of the Jeep up, and we all threw our packs in. As I waited to throw my stuff in, Emmett looked at me from the side. Even from my peripheral vision, I could see the smirk dancing around the corners of his eyes. He turned to Jasper who was standing behind me, "Do you think that's her brave look?" he asked.

Jasper snorted, "I think I'd call that 'the martyr'." And they both began laughing again.

I rolled my eyes. Why was I doing this? Why punish myself? But then I thought of Alice trying to get me interested in choosing the perfect bride and groom cake toppers, and shuddered. I took a deep breath and walked to the passenger door of the Jeep and climbed in.

Edward sat in the back seat with me, while Jasper and Emmett climbed into the front. The ride was nice; I sat in the back with my head against Edward's shoulder. He pointed things out to me as we drove, that I'd never have noticed on my own. There was a huge nest on a distant cliff. My eyes could barely see it, Edward told me it was a Bald Eagle's nest. We drove north on the 101, we passed a huge lake, and soon afterwards turned onto another highway, taking us back into even more mountainous terrain.

I was growing more and more nervous about the day ahead of me. Jasper turned in his seat and looked at me, with a confused expression. Knowing he was picking up on my mixed emotions, I decided to revert back to embarrassment by forcing myself to remember falling off the porch.

The rain grew heavier the higher we climbed. We turned off the main highway onto something, which at first seemed to be a dirt road. After we had driven a little over two miles, I began to suspect it was actually a deer trail by the way I was bouncing around inside the Jeep.

Emmett stopped in a place, which I could only call the middle of nowhere. Emmett and Jasper jumped out like two kids who'd just arrived at Disneyland and opened our doors. As Edward climbed out, Emmett looked me in the face, "Ready to walk, little sister?" he grinned the most wickedly humorous grin ever and I heard Jasper stifle a chuckle behind me. I glanced at Jasper, who rearranged his face into a more serious expression, as I climbed out and walked to the rear of the Jeep to retrieve my backpack.

After everyone had their packs on again, we stood in a circle behind the Jeep.

Edward glanced at Emmett and smiled, "That's what I was thinking. But you're right, she probably won't."

I looked at Edward and he turned to me, "Bella, Jasper and I are going to travel this direction" he pointed behind us to the south, "and hunt, we both need to. You're going to go with Emmett to the north. We'll travel pretty far from you so there won't be any risk for you." _Ha_, I thought, _didn't he remember what hiking with me was like? _"Edward, I don't want to split up here. I need your help to get through."

Edward kissed me on the forehead, "Emmett will help you. He'll carry you at first, so he can run and make certain there is plenty of distance between us. Once Jasper and I are finished, we'll hurry and meet back up with you." He looked at me, lifting my chin up so he could look into my eyes. "Please be careful, Bella. I'm annoyed with myself enough for letting you come with us. If you hurt yourself somehow, I won't be able to forgive myself." He kissed me quickly on the lips, and then with a beckoning glance at Jasper, both were gone in seconds.

I turned around and faced Emmett. He looked like Christmas had come early. "Let's get hikin'!" He grinned, reached down, and yanked me off my feet. The trees were whizzing past, and though he had to carry me in his arms because of the pack on his back, he was still fast enough to make me dizzy watching trees fly by.

After about ten minutes, Emmett finally stopped to put me down. He stepped back and looked at me, like he was trying to gauge whether or not I could stand on my own.

"I'm not an infant Emmett, I can stand at least, even if I can't walk." I barked.

He gave me a look of mock indignation, "What? I didn't say anything." but his eyes were glittering.

I exhaled and frowned, "You were thinking it though!" I said.

Emmett chuckled, "I thought Edward was the only one who could read minds."

"Well, your head is transparent." The mock indignant expression turned real.

"I thought little sisters were supposed to be annoying." I pushed his arm, which didn't move, and smiled hopefully at him.

He recovered his smile and replied, "It's Alice's job to be the annoying little sister. Your job is to be the entertaining one." I frowned in reply.

~*~*0*~*~

We were walking along the top of a crest; the slope to our left was gentle, but still treacherous for me because of all the loose rocks. I walked carefully holding my hand out in Emmett's general direction just in case I fell. I was frowning as I walked. Emmett tried to pull me out of my cross mood.

"So when are you going to become indestructible like the rest of us?" he asked me. He held his hands cautiously a few inches from my back, like a parent letting their child roller skate for the first time.

"That depends on your brother. Edward has given me certain "requirements" and I've given him mine. Once they're all met, Edward _claims _he'll change me."

"What's he making you do?" Emmett grinned crookedly.

I looked back at his face, rolled my eyes and held up my left hand, wiggling my ring finger. Emmett chuckled, "That's it. You shouldn't have caved, Bella - "

"No, that's not it," I said, interrupting him, "I also have to let him pay for my tuition at Dartmouth, and let him buy me a new car. It's completely wrong."

"Nah, it isn't wrong Bella. Edward loves you; he wants to make you happy. He wants to give you things to make your life better, easier, happier. He also wants to protect you. He's afraid that he's complicated it so much that he has to make up for it in other ways." Emmett chuckled again, "You should have seen the first present he got you last year, before Alice convinced him you'd use it on him." Emmett pretended to shoot me with his hand and then laughed.

"A gun? Your not serious, a gun?" I said, aghast at the idea.

Emmett laughed out loud then, "No! Not an actual gun. He bought you this really cool electrode tazer. He tested it on one of the trees out back. Whole thing went up like a match in kerosene. Esme was furious." Emmett was chuckling again.

"I wouldn't use anything like that." Emmett looked at me and gave me a pleading sort of face, "He thought you should have had it in Port Angeles, Bella."

I flushed a little and thought a tazer might not be such a bad idea after all.

Emmett circled back to our earlier topic, "So what requirements did you give Edward?"

My cheeks colored and I answered him, looking at the ground. "He has to be the one to change me, and also," I blushed again. "Also, you know...the wedding night, o-of our honeymoon."

Emmett frowned as he thought about it, "Well, the changing you bit, that's really a big deal, I can understand that. But the honeymoon…of course he'd give you a honeymoon if you're getting m-"

I stopped and looked at Emmett pointedly. "Not the honeymoon Emmett, what he has to do on the wedding night of the honeymoon." I could feel myself flushing again, was I two?

Emmett looked at me, and his jaw dropped. He just stood there for a minute, his eyes growing wider and wider. For the first time, Emmett didn't look at me like I was entertaining. He looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time, and I looked breakable. "Bella, you can't. You…he…you'll…you can't!"

I frowned, "Don't start, Emmett. And don't start in on Edward either. He's scared to death. I have only one human experience that I insist on, and that's it." Emmett didn't speak for quite awhile after that.

The rocky shale we'd been crossing was solidifying. I was able to walk a little more normally now and was enjoying the views across the beautiful mountains. The grey layer of clouds clung astonishingly high around the cliff tops. The drizzle blurred, but didn't erase the valley below. I could see the glitter of a small stream snaking its way through the bottom of it. I was so caught up looking at the view that I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. I took a step and my foot locked underneath a tree root. I flew forward, hands out to catch myself.

It was fortunate that I was wearing jeans and gloves. I'd have skinned the heels of my hands without them. I was pretty sure my knees would have been roughed up badly as well. Emmett barked laughter and pulled me up by my shirt back. "Edward's right, you are the most uncoordinated human I have ever met. How have you survived all this time?"

My mouth was a straight line of annoyance, and I frowned. "I stayed away from Vampires and Werewolves for the majority of it."

Emmett laughed again.

Once I'd taken inventory and decided I wasn't injured anywhere, we walked on again.

"I guess you were perfectly coordinated as a human?" I asked, chagrined to think of Emmett the human, who must have been the most incredibly athletic person of his time.

"I don't remember much, I know I was a hunter even then though. I was out hunting bears when I came across the grizzly Rose saved me from." Emmett smiled at the memory.

I was surprised. I'd somehow always imagined that it was the grizzly that had attacked Emmett. I'd never thought that Emmett might be the one attacking the grizzly and that it was perhaps self-defense, which nearly caused his death and put him in Rosalie's path.

I stopped and looked at him, "So the grizzly that almost killed you…"

"…Wasn't attacking, right. It was defending. Crazy isn't it?" He grinned widely.

He stood there looking at me smiling, and then suddenly his focus shifted. His smile faltered slightly. I thought he was remembering something.

"What is it, Emmett?" he looked back at me, and his eyes grew black. Emmett's smile twisted as a growl suddenly escaped his lips. I stepped back in shock. "Emmett?" I called out. Emmett's lip curled as he let out a vicious snarl. I screamed as he launched himself at me. He reached down as he sailed over my head and pushed me in the direction he'd just been standing in and at that moment I heard the most spine-tingling, earsplitting scream I'd ever heard. Whatever screamed wasn't Emmett, or anything that had ever been human.

I hadn't realized Emmett was standing on the edge of a steep decline until I was rolling down it. I slid the first part of it on my side as my body fell forward, feeling the loose rocks shred the skin on my elbow. The gloves saved my hands, but my sleeves were loose and were pushed up above my elbow by my momentum.

The backpack's weight pulled me forward. I tried to turn so I could get my feet in front of me, causing the rocks to slice the skin under my shirt. I had just managed to get my feet in front of me, and dig my heels in when I hit a rock outcropping. I heard an enormous snap and felt a sudden burning pain in my right leg. I reached for my leg, which caused me to somersault several times. As I somersaulted my leg flailed and struck the ground painfully several times. I was aware of a high-pitched screaming coming from somewhere nearby.

Finally I realized the ground was leveling off a little and I slowed down, coming to an awkward, sliding stop. I didn't move, everything hurt. I could feel wetness on my leg, and my whole body seemed to tingle where I knew I had abrasions and cuts from my fall. I tried to sit myself up so I could see what had happened with my leg, but my movement twisted the leg. I realized the high-pitched screaming earlier had been coming from me, because it was the same scream which escaped me at that moment.

My face was already wet from the drizzle, but I still realized I was crying. I could hear the sounds of a scuffle from the ridge above me. The rain drizzled down on me and somehow it helped clear my head a little. More cautiously than I had at first, I repositioned myself. I looked at my leg and saw the bone protruding, and blood, the bile began to surge in my stomach and my head began to swim. I fell back against the slope again. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing deeply.

The lightheadedness had just begun to clear up when I heard Emmett calling from behind me, and heard the sound of him starting down the hill.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay. Oh crap! I'm really sorry Bell, I didn't mean to –"

"Emmett, STOP! DON'T come down Emmett. Stay up there!" The frantic tone of my voice froze him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I was internally grateful for the rain, thinking perhaps it was keeping the scent down at the bottom with me. I was a decent distance away and was hopeful.

"Oh!" Emmett exclaimed, the comprehension in his voice ruining my hope. "Where are you bleeding Bella?"

"All over Emmett, just stay there, or…go find Edward. And try not to breathe Emmett. I'm so sorry." I said over my shoulder."

Emmett chuckled, "No worries little sister. I did just have an appetizer, so I'm ok, but it's probably a good idea for me to keep my distance."

The pain in my leg wasn't as unbearable as it was at first, but a new problem was arising, and I was aware enough to recognize it for what it was. I was becoming extremely cold, which likely meant I was going into shock.

"Emmett, you have to get Edward, and don't let Jasper anywhere near me. If he smells this, fed or not, he's going to lose control and I don't want him to feel bad."

Emmett called down. "I'll call Edward, give me a sec." After a few moments he called back down the ravine again. "Bella, Edward's on his way, but he wants to know how bad you're hurt."

I called up to him, "My right leg is broken, and…" that was bad enough, "and I'm going into shock." I said more softly, but Emmett still heard.

"Are you going to be okay Emmett?" I asked, trying to distract myself.

"No way could you taste as good as irritable grizzly little sister. I'm just going to wait until I can have what I ordered." He was trying to make me laugh, but I could tell he was worried.

"I'd only be another appetizer." We chuckled together.

A thought came to my mind, sobering my humor, "Emmett, how are we going to get back to the house? I don't think Jasper will be able to sit in the car with me right now, and will you even be able to drive?"

"Don't worry about that, Bella. You and Edward will take the Jeep, Jasper and I will run." I was scandalized, "Emmett, we drove for an hour and half to get here this morning!"

"Trust me, it's not that far." A few minutes later Emmett called down to me again.

I was feeling colder and colder by the moment. Tired too, when Emmett spoke I jerked out of my daze. "Bella? Edward's almost here, I'm going to go meet him and stay with Jasper. It'll just be a few minutes, okay?"

"I'm good." I tried to respond but my voice was weak. I was so tired. I heard Emmett mumbling tersely to himself for a second and then he was gone.

I couldn't keep my eyes open, I was suddenly exhausted and I didn't want to sit here waiting anymore. I wanted to be with Edward. I lost track of time passing. I felt like shadows were falling over me. Was it already getting dark? Had I been out here that long? Where was Edward, Emmett said only a few minutes? The ground beneath me grew cooler, spreading out from two points beneath me. I slept.

I could hear voices, but I couldn't remember where I was. There was an angry tone to one. It belonged to Edward.

"…thoroughly and utterly foolish of me to imagine she'd be able to go along and be safe. I can't believe I let her convince me. Never again!"

"Edward, you could hardly have been expected to plan for a mountain lion trying to attack, or Bella accidentally being pushed down a 480 foot slope. You're going to have to get a handle on your anger with yourself. Emmett feels bad enough as it is." Carlisle chastised softly.

"Carlisle the point is that it shouldn't have been a problem."

"Edward, it wasn't a problem. Bella could have gone hiking with anyone and had a similar incident. This was not a circumstance which our being vampires affected. Truly Edward, I won't let you punish yourself for this. It isn't at all the same as her 18th birthday, which also wasn't nearly as bad as you made it out to be. What we did to her afterwards ended up being much worse, so keep that in mind when she wakes up."

I heard a musical voice clear it's throat, "Yes, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"She's about to wake up." Alice replied.

I felt Edward's cold hand on mine. "Bella?" he called softly.

I opened my eyes. I looked at Edward, whose face was first in my line of vision. Alice's popped in next, and then Jasper and Emmett's. Carlisle was standing at the foot of my bed. Everyone except Edward was smiling.

Emmett spoke first, "What do you do for an encore, little sister?" Edward glared at him.

I felt Edward's hand leave mine, but if it weren't for sudden jerk of Emmet's head to the side, I wouldn't have realized that Edward had hit him. I laughed.

"Maybe next time we hike I could go looking for grizzlies, big brother." I smiled and Emmett chuckled.

Edward frowned at Emmett, then smiled at me and leaned down to kiss me. I looked at him for a moment with a smile, and then turned back to Emmett. I don't know why, but somehow – I just found it easier to talk to him at that moment.

"What's the report?" I asked him.

"One compound fracture, one sprained knee, multiple bruises, contusions and abrasions." I looked at him blinking; it was such an uncharacteristically accurate explanation. It was incongruous with Emmett's usual way of putting things. Emmett grinned widely then, "At least that's what Carlisle said, I say I knocked you down and toughened you up."

I grinned, "I'm so sorry, Emmett."

He smiled back at me. "Don't be. I'm proud of you. Even half dazed, broken and being goofy Bella, you took control of the situation. You can hike with me anytime, little sister." He beamed at me.

I heard a low growl in Edward's chest. Giggling, I laid a hand on Edward's arm. "It's ok Edward, I think from now on I'd be better off facing the decorations instead."

Emmett scowled, "Chicken!" I heard something that sounded like a rock hitting another. Emmett laughed and said, "What?"

Edward just shook his head in answer.

Emmett leaned in, and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Glad you're alright little sister. Wouldn't want to lose you. Even if you are pretty funny looking." I snapped my teeth at him.

Emmett laughed and sarcastically said "So scary," and grinned as he walked out.


End file.
